Bad Bruises
by queenofsweets
Summary: Hakkai attends a dojo every summer where he is bullied on a daily basis. However, once a new student appears and befriends this lonely teen, will Hakkai's life get better or even more complicated? Note: This story contains slight yaoi and mature themes.
1. Chapter 1

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

+ Burgundy Bruises +

WARNING: I will repeat, this is a **yaoi** story. That means, for those of you who don't know, the action of two men dating. Some violence along with male/male sexual encounters will happen. Do not read this if you are offended or dislike such a thing occurring.

Disclaimer: I do not own Saiyuki, Gojyo, or Hakkai. I do however own the few original characters in this fan fiction.

- - - - -

_Chapter 1_

The twenty-mile walk to the dojo was a rather familiar one, he still remembered running excitedly down the very same path with his absent-minded father trailing behind when he was only five. No matter how many springs flew by, the winding trees lining the gravel road still bloomed full of pink blossoms every year. Wire framed glasses slid defiantly down his elegantly sloping nose, which he pushed up distractedly with one pale index finger.

He hadn't been looking forward to attending this year, like he had so ignorantly when he first peered over his spectacles at the impressive wide bricked building that was now slowly coming into view. He could see the upturned curves of the pristine black tiled roof peeking over the trees. Hakkai's slender legs, clothed in the customary plain cotton white pants, strained with effort not only from the journey, but the current trek up his obstacle.

Shone Dojo sat on the top of a very large hill covered in forestry. Where the dirt road ended, flat rocks were half sunken into the cool moss covered ground to serve as steppingstones. With the amount of students he saw come and go, he'd think that they would have the funds to pave a much easier path. Once half way, Hakkai sighed quietly to himself, halting his progress for a moment to enjoy the soft breeze that ruffled his thick black hair. He closed his strikingly green eyes and let the wind cool the sweat beading off his brow. Perhaps this spring, he thought somewhat hopelessly, things will be easier.

v v v v v v v v v v v v v v

Honestly, it was like being back in pre-school, thought the tan red head in the corner. When he had signed up for this summer program, a bunch of vulgar and easy-going kids playing frizz-bee in what looked like a millionaire's living room was not what he had pictured. Apart from the intricately designed rugs, there were dimly lit lamps with sculptures of various human forms as their base, and a very elegant looking chandelier hanging down the middle of the dome shaped ceiling. Although comfortable, the color scheme was rather dark, much like the outside of the establishment with it's traditional Japanese appeal.

Gojyo's eyes peeked sideways though his curtain of burgundy locks just in time to see a particularly noisy one of the boys smirk and launch the frizz-bee directly towards his awaiting face. Without so much as blinking, his hand snapped up and snatched the rapidly rotating disk from it's path, then he reluctantly slouched up and out of his chair to grin arrogantly across the room.

Clearly surprised, but not wanting to loose face in front of the participating classmates in the game, he set his features straight and boldly held up his hand for a return serve. The new guy may be a good catch, but that didn't mean he had a good throw, thought the boy. The red head, rather than tossing it back, was now idly spinning the toy on his index finger, "You sure you want it back?" His tone was playful, but his eyes said that he was clearly not at all amused. The boy sputtered angrily for a moment and said, "Fine, if you can't even throw it across a room, come and bring it to me!"

Gojyo quit his taunting and braced the frizz-bee in one tightly coiled arm, his stance crouched low while his body flexed like a leopard ready to pounce, sending the object hurdling with a alarming speed back towards his prey. However, some of his classmates had better reflexes than he originally thought, and he watched the boy fall to one knee to avoid the impact that would have surely broken his nose.

v v v v v v v v v v v v v v

Hakkai winced as the finely polished red steps creaked in protest at the weight he put on them, but kept his focus on the two small scaled dragon torsos protruding from a pair of dark mahogany doors instead, because he knew that as soon as his trembling hands clasped those ridiculously vicious looking door handles, that all his hope for solitude and peace would evaporate. He prayed that his quickly vanishing optimism would remain somewhat intact when he faced his teacher.

The dark haired boy took a deep breath and closed his eyes, preparing himself to deal with the occupants inside. Even through the thick wood he could hear the shouts of the other kids inside. "Really now, it's the first day," he whispered with a half-hearted chuckle. Opening his eyes he reluctantly tugged open the door.

The first thing he heard was, "HEAD'S UP!"

And first thing he saw, was black.

v v v v v v v v v v v v v v

"Hakkai?" His head was spinning as he floated in a peaceful sea of nothingness. The voice that was beckoning him made him afraid. No, he didn't want to go back to that world of pain he vaguely felt peeking through the abyss. "Hakkai, wake up. NOW." Groaning, he obeyed the stern voice and smiled gently once he saw who it was, Sensei Michael. He always had everyone call him Mike. "I want none of this 'Sensei Michael Sir' business," he once said. It was often hard to believe that he was a police officer in his earlier years.

Mike was a man in his mid-thirties with sharp blue eyes, a muscular form required for a Sensei, and bronze skin. His dark silver hair was pulled away from his hard features in a low ponytail, one which matched the color of the five o'clock shadow on his squared jaw, giving him a particularly rugged appearance.

Once he saw that Hakkai was awake, he breathed out a dramatic sigh of relief and wiped the sweat that had been collecting on his brow. He had sworn that as his duty, he would not conduct another year in which this student went though anymore physical, or emotional turmoil. This was not a very good start. Never the less, he grinned down at the fallen boy, "So…how ya doin?" Which made emerald-eyed boy staring up at him a bit exasperated.

Even though Mike was definitely not someone to be taken lightly, he was a complete goof ball most of the time. "Looks like the new kid's already one with the crowd, in the bully department anyway."

Hakkai, puzzled by the man's comment, sat up and felt something wet slide off his forehead. He looked down and suddenly wished he hadn't, it was a cloth stained with blood.

"Wha-"

"Don't worry," Mike interrupted, suddenly in a state of seriousness and calm, "the cut isn't that deep even though it was a bleeder, but your pretty much fine now. The blood's stopped and I already cleaned the wound." Hakkai watched blankly as his Sensei picked up the cloth and dropped it into a bowl of pinkish water next to his crossed legs. Inside he was still very confused, but he hardly ever let anything show, and bid his time to ask questions incase his sensei told him willingly without prodding.

It was then that Hakkai noticed where he was, it was one of the two large rooms that his classmates where split up in to sleep. Both were identical, large with dark wooden floors and red futons propped a foot above the ground with simple steel barred frames, spread out in neatly rowed columns. His own bed, which he currently rested in, was at the far left corner next to the sliding paper doors that led out to the second floor balcony. Neither balcony had a stick of furniture on it, so Hakkai often wondered their purpose. Regardless, it was still nice to sit outside every once and a while to regain composure or recollect thoughts.

The boy let himself fall back down on his mattress with a light thump, and took a couple of moments to relax himself, then calmly asked Mike why he was here and about the blood. "WHAT?" Mike practically yelled. "You don't remember? Well now that I think about it that's no big surprise. That frizz-bee whacked you pretty hard."

"Frizz..bee?"

"But don't worry about it. There wasn't a lot of damage. Your face just won't look so pretty anymore, and the toy was confiscated. This summer won't be a cake walk, that's for sure."Hakkai was starting to get irritated. Mike had a bad habit of interrupting, rambling, and being extremely vague.

"Anyway," Mike went on, "the second you stepped through that door, that thing was _flying_ right for your head. Some one yelled for you to move a split second before _BAM!_ Lights out, there was a lot of commotion while I scooped you up and ran you to the student quarters. I put some ice down to stop most of the swelling, curbed the bleeding, and cleaned the wound but there will still be a pretty nasty mark there for a bit."

He then reached behind himself and produced a small hand mirror and held it up to Hakkai's face for his inspection. The boy looked despairingly at the sloping cut that ran from the center of his forehead to the edge of his right eyebrow. The skin surrounding the injury was tinged purple, bruising he assumed.

"Oh my, that does look rather bad."

"It _will _heal, quicker than you may believe, as I'm sure you know the cuts small but the blood vessels beneath the skin are damaged. You'll just have a lovely bruise for a while, even after that slice on your head heals. Go ahead and rest up for now. You really don't need to be attending the first days lecture since you've heard it around fifteen times already," he assured with a wink.

Hakkai gave his Sensei a weak smile and watched him put the mirror in his back pocket, gather the bowel of bloodied water, and stand to take his leave. It was still daylight, since there was a soft unrelenting glow filtering through the sliding balcony doors. All of his other classmates must still be downstairs, with a substitute instructor.

Before he had a chance to turn and leave, Hakkai asked quickly, "Could you please tell me who…hit me? I would like to pay more careful attention to him in the future."

The burly man scratched his head and shrugged, "I really don't know for sure, but I'm guessing it was one of the new guys. I can tell you this though, the student with a stare as fiery as his hair color is quite the character. The second he got here I felt as though I should have had ropes handy to tie him down." Mike was already out of the room and about to close the door when he added, "Don't fret, I won't let anyone cause you anymore grief this summer."

Hakkai belatedly wondered what color this boy's hair was, but a soft 'click' let him know that the door was shut and it was already too late to ask. His shoulders slumped as he was once again, alone. With this final thought he drifted off into an uneasy sleep. He dreamed of a careful hand tracing the gash on his face, soothing over the pain filled flesh. The foreign touch turned suddenly violent, when it's index finger pushed down, hard on his cut, and dragged its fingernail across aching severed skin. With a small cry, Hakkai awoke with a start, the bed sheets twisted in a white-knuckled grasp as his heavy breathing matched the quickness of his frantically beating heart. Wide eyes swept across the room, taking in the slowly fading light from outside.

"It must be around dinner time," he whispered.

Pulling back the covers, he stood. He decided that he really didn't want to hang around, might as well go down and eat. Facing all of his 'friends' now would be better than waiting to be subjected to the usual crude jokes associated with any abnormal behavior. Yes, it was best just to try and remain as normal as everyone else, which included dining with the rest.

Hakkai started walking toward the door, feet tapping on the wood. He didn't bother trying to avoid the rows of futons around the room, and proceeded to step on them for leverage to quicken his pace towards his destination. Everyone was downstairs anyway.

Directly after this thought, he lifted his right foot to hoist himself up and over another bed and got tangled in something soft that was definitely not a pillow, in a delayed reaction out of shock, his body continued to try and shift forward. His eyes grew wide as he started to fall and heard a, "SON OF A- "

Hakkai's face then became promptly acquainted with the floor.

After a moment of laying sprawled on the ground, his glasses crooked which had his vision from his left eye blurred, a voice reached his ears, "What's your ass doing out of bed?"

He slowly turned his head and saw a person who looked about his age with a piercing gaze that could only accurately be described as blazing as the setting sun. The boy sat up, wincing slightly because Hakkai's foot was still tangled in his…

The other followed Hakkai's gaze up to his now mangled red locks. He knew red was not a common color for hair, but there was no need to stare and…to…

"What in the…"

On the left side of his head was a foot caught in a mass of tangles. Gojyo moved his stupefied stare from the foot, to a leg, to their owner.

Hakkai was in a panic. This was one of his new classmates, he was sure of it since he had never seen him before, and his first impression, which he had intended to be a short and polite introduction, has turned into a most embarrassing accident in which would surely lead to him being despised by this person immediately.

Gojyo's mouth opened and closed several times until he just resolved himself to staring at the green-eyed man on the floor. He's probably so angry that he doesn't know if he should yell or hit me first, Hakkai mused apprehensively.

The red heads lips then contorted into a shaky grin.

Oh dear, a sadist, the emerald eyed boy thought with increasing fear.

Though what he did next was unexpected to him. He did not lash out or yell, but rather started to chuckle. Hakkai had no idea what to do or why this boy was laughing, so he just resorted to watching timidly.

The other's hand went up and Hakkai almost flinched, thinking he decided to hit him first, but he merely clapped his hand over his eyes as he threw his head up, jerking Hakkai's leg in the process, and resumed laughing. "Hey, I know I'm new and all.." the red head mustered though his chuckles, "but I'll tell you right now.."

The door then choose this opportune moment to creak open as Gojyo was trying to finish his sentence while another head popped in the room, "Oi, I forgot to get you earlier, but dinner is…" Mike trailed off as he took in the scene before him. "…I'm not one for foot fetishes." Their sensei's expression had Gojyo reeling back with renewed laughter.

Hakkai was looking more distraught then ever, foot still in a clump of red hair, as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening while Gojyo struggled to control his laughter.

"Well," Mike said to himself, "that's a start," and closed the door. On his way down the hall, he idly wondered if it was a good idea to let his new student try and befriend Hakkai. But the kid did seem sincerely worried that he had missed his target and hit some poor unsuspecting victim.

This cannot be good, Hakkai thought while he waited for Gojyo to regain himself. He knew the outcome once the red head recovered from his laughter would not be a pleasant one.

He was sure tha-

"Ha, hah, hah," Hakkai quickly covered his mouth, that laugh was unexpected from himself. His eyes focused back onto Gojyo who was currently untangling strands of hair from his foot with an amused smirk.

"Your ticklish," it was a statement.

Hakkai didn't know what to say, it was a discovery for him too. He can't remember the last time someone had touched him in a way that wasn't violent. Well, with the exception of a few paternal affections directed toward him when he was a child.

Once the new comer was done, he gladly removed his foot from Gojyo's side and turned himself over so he could sit up. His eyes darted back to the other who was now grinning in…what could only be described as an evil fashion.

So the sadist returns.

The boy abruptly leapt from his sitting position from the futon onto Hakkai, who gave a surprised, "Hmphff," at the sudden weight, and began tickling him mercilessly. Unable to help himself, Hakkai burst out laughing.

Gojyo smiled maniacally, those pricks downstairs said this guy would never crack a smile, let alone laugh and I've gotten him practically reduced to tears, he thought triumphantly. He continued his activities until he noticed the thick bruise that slanted off Hakkai's pale forehead, and found it none to appealingly. His smirk slipped off.

As soon as Gojyo stopped tickling, Hakkai stopped laughing and was gasping for breath.

Once his breathing started returning to normal, he looked up at Gojyo and gasped. The boy had his fierce red eyes merely and inch away from his face, and they were focusinf intently on his wound.

He whistled lowly and said, "Damn, I cut you up good."

Hakkai gaped like a fish for a few moments then jerked back violently, causing Gojyo to tumble backward. After he scrambled to his feet, he stared in astonishment at the red head who just sat himself up and crossed his legs, perfectly at ease.

"So you…you threw the frizz-bee?" He asked with a surprising twinge of disappointment.

"Hey man, it's not like I did it on purpose. The little shit moved at the last second when you came in." The response only caused Hakkai's expression to be politely perplexed.

Gojyo sighed and stood up so that he could be at eye level with the green-eyed boy, "The guy irritated me, alright? So I wanted to shut him up. It was a challenge, and I just don't back down from one of those," he put his hand behind his head and mused up his already tangled mop, "it's not my fault, nor was it my intention that you got caught in the crossfire. I just wanted to teach that asshole a lesson."

He then shifted his gaze from Hakkai's gaze to his cut. "Instead I ended up messing your pretty face," he said with a wink.

Hakkai stared at him as if he had sprouted a second head, and then managed, "I-Is that so?" He felt that the conversation had taken an uncomfortable turn. Whatever Gojyo was going to say next was suddenly interrupted by a low grumble from both of their stomachs.

"Guess it's time to eat," Gojyo said with a soft smile. This kid seemed nice, although awkward. He didn't want to scare him with his usual competitive attitude and wise cracks. So instead of picking on the fact that the boy looked about ready to faint for what ever reason, he simply turned and headed for the door without a word, choosing to let his classmate follow if he wished.

A moment of hesitation later, Hakkai closed the door Gojyo had opened behind him. Looking up, he saw that the red head was already halfway down the quiet hall, hands resting in his pockets. "Well?" he called over his shoulder as he walked. Hakkai caught up and fell into step beside him.

They walked side-by-side for a few silent minutes until Gojyo said, "So your Hakkai. That is your name, isn't it?" while stifling a yawn. It reminded the other boy that he had been the one to wake him from his nap, and he replied, "Yes, I am. And I'm sorry for your rude awakening earlier." As he said this, he watched the other carefully out of the corner of his vision, half expecting a punishment.

Ignoring the apology, "Gojyo," hee said proudly, jabbing his thump to his chest, "You should remember that name."

Hakkai lowered his gaze to the floor, his choppy black hair covered a shadow of a smile in his now vacant eyes, "Certainly."

Moments later, each of them had a hand latched to a handle connecting to a pair of double doors. Together they tugged open the entrance to the dining hall. Hakkai with a carefully placed blank expression, Gojyo with a cocky smirk, light flooded onto them as they faced their peers.

TBC…

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A/N: The revised version of BB. Only very minor things have been changed and should not affect the original story. I am going through what is already posted before updating the final chapters, because I'm sure that it would strike the reader as odd for the last chapters to be better written than the earlier ones. The most of what I am doing is merely improving spelling, grammar, and some descriptions. This first chapter has been edited as of March 9, 2009.


	2. Chapter 2

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

+ Burgundy Bruises +

WARNING: I will repeat, this is a **yaoi** story. That means, for those of you who don't know, the action of two men dating. Some violence along with male/male sexual encounters will happen. Do not read this if you are offended or dislike such a thing occurring.

Disclaimer: I do not own Saiyuki, Gojyo, or Hakkai. I do however own the few original characters in this fan fiction.

- - - - -

_Chapter 2_

Every head in the dining hall turned towards the entrance. Hakkai couldn't decided if it was because they were looking at Gojyo, who did stand out with his blood red locks and equally dark red eyes, or because he was actually within close vicinity of someone. Which is an unusual occurrence in itself, Hakkai thought forlornly.

The doors shut with a dull thud that echoed around the now silent room. Gojyo seemed to not notice all the attention directed at them as he quickly scanned the area for two empty seats. There was one just next to Hakkai at the front of the long table, and one at the end in the furthest corner.

Gojyo shrugged, crossed in front of Hakkai, sat down in the nearest one, and began piling food onto his plate. All around people seemed to accept this and conversation immediately fired up again.

Many started talking to Gojyo. Asking where he's from, what he likes, his reason for coming here.

Hakkai wordlessly turned and walked down to 'his' end of the table. He usually sat there. You could say that his classmates 'gave' him a spot.

In actuality it was because no one wanted to sit with him. So the weakest of the students were bullied into sitting at the end with Hakkai.

Staring at the nearest selection of food, he regretted admitting to himself that Gojyo's appearance at the dojo would most likely not change anything.

His musing were interrupted when the basket of now cold bread he was staring at was removed and replaced with a pot of steaming rice. He looked up at the cook who was smiling down at him with a knowing expression.

"Lost in pessimistic thought again, Hakkai?"

Hakkai chanced a smile for his only friend, Rousoku.

"Not at all." Rousoku smiled back before leaving to retrieve another meal.

When he was smaller, and rather stoic most of the time, not much unlike today, he would go down to the kitchens to eat extra scoops of ice cream with Rousoku.

At first he was surprised and scolding him for being up so late, then in time, when Hakkai would be particularly lonely, Rousoku would be there waiting for him, bowl of ice cream in hand.

Pulling out of the past he looked at the rice recently set in front of him, blinked, then lifted his hands from his lap to the wooden spoon within the pot. It would be no good if he forgot to eat, feeling that he was in for a rather long summer.

Meanwhile, at Gojyo's end of the table, laughter and cheerful chats were infectious. / People are so goddamn curious these days, he thought right after he had just explained where he was from. Or nosy.

Does it really matter? If they were women, asking where I lived it would have been totally justified…and I wouldn't have lied about coming here from a foreign country, he laughed to himself.

"Man, and I thought you would be crazy when I saw you actually _smoking _when you were greeted in the main hall. I've never seen Mike so blue in the face," the person across from Gojyo said.

Chuckles all around came from those who where listening. The half-breed smirked.

"So violet, are you a homosexual? No man in their right mind would dye their hair that color."

Gojyo narrowed his eyes. Yeah, all these questions were to make fun of him. But his brother had always told him to not make such paranoid assumptions with people he just met.

He then clapped his hands on his knees and leaned forward with an overly cheerful expression on his face.

Across the table the man lost his smirk, unnerved by Gojyo's proximity.

The red head tossed his hair out of his eyes, grin still in place, "I bet you would like that."

Jeers and a resounding, "Ooooooo!" was heard from around the room. Gojyo leaned back and said as if he was giving a big let down, "Sorry pal, gotta save it for the ladies."

As soon as the taunts died down to the poor soul that dared call the kappa gay, someone a few chairs down shouted over the lasting noise, "So what were you doing coming in here with Hakkai?"

The silence that followed this was somehow the same from when they had entered, deathly silent. Everyone seemed to lean in, keen to hear the answer to this question.

Hakkai, only listening to the conversation just then due to the fact that the inquiry was shouted, tensed. He however, did not look at Gojyo, and was instead feigning ease and ignorance.

So he resumed eating, fork scratching every now and then on his plate, being the only sound in the dining hall. A few heads turned his way, but most remained on the red head.

Gojyo placed an elbow on the table and his hand cradled his chin. He surveyed his 'audience' with a glare in his eyes and a smirk on his lips.

"Any reason why I shouldn't have?"

He spoke calmly, but the look he was giving proved otherwise. Something about him just radiated _danger_ off his form.

Seeing as it was the first day, there had been no sparring matches, and seeing as how he was new, no one had observed him perform in the past summers. This in mind, no one rose to the challenge since no one knew what kind of opponent Gojyo would be. He was certainly using an air of mystery to his advantage.

Though it seemed there was a silent agreement among the group that once he did spar, and if he turned out weak, that he would be reminded painfully of this.

Heads turned back to their meals, conversation tentatively returned.

Gojyo lifted his elbows from the table, once again picked up his fork, and sighed dramatically.

"What's with these guys?"

Suddenly the person next to him nudged him with his elbow. "Hm? What's up?"

A man with dark brown hair and eyes leaned closer, "No one had any offense intended, you know. I'm sure that guy with his question was just suggesting that you stay away from that Hakkai character."

That Hakkai _character, _he repeated with annoyance in his mind.

"And why's that?" Gojyo asked carefully. He wanted to know more about the supposedly emotionless green-eyed man, and why everyone disliked him. This guy seemed to be eager to tell him anything he wanted to know. The gossip of the school, he assumed.

Said man paused, "Well…he's…he's stronger than he looks," he finished lamely.

Gojyo raised an eyebrow, "Uh huuuh…"

"Oh you know…like he's really quiet. No one knows what he's thinking. The guy never seems happy, only polite. And every time he was challenged to a match by another student, he always won."

"Was?"

"Yeah, was. No one ever asks him for a match anymore. So every sparring period he just sits there, reading."

"Always won?"

"Always."

Gojyo smiled widely, the man next to him seemed scared at this. Gojyo however, thought it sounded like fun.

"Your thinking about challenging him, aren't you? I wouldn't recommend it, that's the only time Hakkai gets payback anyway."

Gojyo stopped smiling, "Payback? For what?"

The man shrugged, "I really don't know. I never associated myself with Hakkai, but others do. Some say that they mess him up really bad. Like pick fights with him unofficially, so that he doesn't fight back."

His red eyes grew intense as he refocused his gaze down the table to the only person not engaging in any conversation, what the hell.

Gojyo stood up abruptly, and noticed that half the people had already finished dinner and had gone upstairs. Hakkai not being one of them.

It's none of my business anyway…

He turned to go, one hand in his pocket and one up in the air as mock solute as he walked to the door.

"Thanks man. You've been some help. And feel honored, I dubbed you the information highway of this place, we'll be talking again soon."

He ignored the man's confused statements as he continued on out the door, up the stairs and down now dark hallways. His bare feet tapping against the wood as it did when he had come down accompanied by Hakkai.

He felt drained, perhaps he'd been thinking too much today. There was, after all, a lot to take in. This atmosphere was completely and utterly different from the one he had lived in most of his young life.

Entering the room Gojyo would soon be sharing with everyone, he noticed some guys staring at the ceiling, some talking, and a group of four piled on one bed in the center playing cards.

Grinning, he sat himself down not so eloquently without so much as asking permission to join. Now this, I am familiar with.

Elsewhere, Hakkai watched the last person leave the table. His posture slacked and he let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding.

Mumbling to himself that it took long enough to be alone, he wondered idly how someone in they're right mind could take two hours to eat. Dismissing this thought, he stood up and busied himself with the task of going around the table collecting as many plates and utensils that he could carry.

Then turning on his heel he walked through a door leading into the kitchens. Rousoku was there, waiting for him as expected.

Hakkai proceeded to the sink with his arms full of dirty dishes, and received a grateful grin from Rousoku while he deposited what he had and turned on his heel to retrieve the rest from the dining room.

Once he did, the two were at the sink, washing dishes while they told one another what they had been doing over the year.

This happened often, seeing as Hakkai always stayed after dinner to help Rousoku. He told himself it was to thank him for all of those late nights of a shoulder to lean on, but what he really did it for was the sense of companionship. He never really had a close friend before.

They exchanged goodnights at the double doors of the dining hall, Rousoku turned to go to his room next to the kitchen, Hakkai grudgingly left for the opposite direction and headed to the room he shared with everyone else.

Upon entrance he was greeted with light snores, the room was dark but not pitch black.

Well the lack of light and chatter wasn't surprising, he thought, it was past midnight after all. Stepping into the large room he stole his glasses from his face and rubbed the bridge of his nose, suddenly realizing how tired he was.

Careful not to trip on the corner of the futons occupied by his hotheaded classmates, Hakkai made his way to his bed. This was repeated every night. Every time he would come up late and as best as possible sneak into his bed, holding his breath. Making the least amount of noise as possible.

He hated to imagine what might happen if he woke someone up, thinking of no one in particular. Quickly running through a list of people in his mind, he concluded that the situation would be extremely unpleasant and painful on his part with just about everyone.

His thoughts were interrupted when a warm hand shot out from the sea of blankets and slumbering bodies to grasped his ankle.

Hakkai gasped and quickly covered his mouth to prevent any more sound. With wide eyes he looked down at Gojyo, who was looking rather tussled, tired, and grumpy.

Then surprisingly he said angerly, "What the hell where you doing down there? It's two in the fucking _morning_."

As he looked up at startled green eyes he thought what could have possibly take him this long, was he counting each individual grain of left over rice? That seemed to be the only likely answer that would take up eight hours of time.

Hakkai just continued to stare wide-eyed before putting back on silver framed glasses.

Then regaining some composure, he asked one question out of twenty racing in his mind, "Gojyo, why on earth are you still up?"

"Waiting for you smart-ass. Get into bed. You should have still been sleeping anyway after I hit you with that damn frizz-bee until tomorrow," he grumbled as he let go of Hakkai's ankle.

Biting back his curiosity as to why the red head would care, he nodded down at Gojyo. Looking back up he found an empty spot in the corner where his bed should have been.

"What do you need glasses for if your blind?"

He looked back down at Gojyo who was smiling, the red head reached out a hand from under his covers and stretched it to his left on a futon Hakkai just now noticed was not only empty, but out of place.

"I moved it. You might get sick sleeping in the corner by that door."

Hakkai opened his mouth to warn the new student that moving assigned beds would get him in trouble but was interrupted, "Look, I'm not your nanny, and I'm tired. So shut up and go to sleep."

Then he pulled up his covers and closed his eyes. Trusting that Hakkai will do what he says, although he just stood there perplexed for quite a while. The truth was, Hakkai had to wonder how Gojyo got his bed next to his own in the first place, sice all the short steel legs of the frames were _drilled_ into the _floor_.

Surely the others would be upset if he slept any nearer to them than he has in the past? Then again, facing an upset Gojyo may be worse…he couldn't be sure. And until then, he thought it best to do as he was asked.

Slowly crouching down in his own covers next to the kappa, he pulled back the sheets and rolled on his side.

Gojyo turned as well, facing opposite from the other, completely unaware of the emerald green eyes watching him for some time until eventually closing for sleep.

TBC…

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A/N: And the revising continues! As of March 20, 2009, this chapter has been revised and completed to fit the new, improved, and continued version of this story. (It had never been completed, but was abandoned for three years. Yikes, I better get all this editing done so I can post new chapters and complete the story!)


	3. Chapter 3

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

+ Burgundy Bruises +

WARNING: I will repeat, this is a **yaoi** story. That means, for those of you who don't know, the action of two men dating. Some violence along with male/male sexual encounters will happen. Do not read this if you are offended or dislike such a thing occurring.

Disclaimer: I do not own Saiyuki, Gojyo, or Hakkai. I do however own the few original characters in this fan fiction.

- - - - -

_Chapter 3_

The next morning at breakfast, Hakkai couldn't help but feel that someone was watching him. Maybe I'm just being paranoid after all that attention from yesterday, he tried to think optimistically.

He looked down at his plate and sighed, and moved some of his eggs around with the tips of his fork.

Unable to shake the feeling of being gazed upon he pushed himself steadily away from the table, his chair screeching on the wooden floor, and stood up.

As usual it looked like no one noticed his sudden departure as he turned around to make his way into the kitchen.

On entering he instantly spotted Rousoku, who was standing over a very large pot on a rusty stove and having a difficult time stirring some kind of thick, bubbly liquid.

"And what would that be?" Hakkai asked with laughter hidden in his voice, still trying to keep an emotionless expression.

Rousoku's head snapped around so fast that shoulder length dark blue hair whipped across his face.

Hakkai strood over to him and noticed that the substance in the pot was the same as the orange goopy smudges on Rousoku's face and used-to-be white apron.

Getting over the sudden surprise of the intrusion in his kitchen, Rousoku looked back down at the bubbling pot of goo fondly, "I'm not quite sure yet, but that's what makes it so interesting."

He turned back around to Hakkai and said enthusiastically, "You want to test it with me once it's done?"

Hakkai held a hand over his mouth, pretending to yawn while concealing his laughter. His friend could really be a child at times with the way he loved cooking so much. He actually was only about four years older than Hakkai himself.

This caused him to wonder frequently why he became the cook, even though he enjoyed it, and not simply be a member of the dojo. That way there would be no dirty dishes, and why does he live here? What about a family? But he always kept those kinds of questions to himself, and oddly enough, so did Rousoku. The never had never asked him much of anything aside from what he liked to eat.

"Though tempting, I think I will pass on the offer," Hakkai answered politely.

He took a seat at one of the chairs clustered by a table full of pots and bottles of ingredients covered in flour and who knows what else.

The pair then descended into conversation while Rousoku stuck his foot on the edge of the cauldron-like pot and tried to pry the wooden spoon from the confines of orange goop that seemed to have a mind of its own.

Elsewhere, a select few sitting around a particular red head were starting to get scared at the gleeful expression that has been in place since said red head had woken up.

"Come on Gojyo, tell us what your so happy about already."

Gojyo grinned into the spoon he was using to eat his soup with.

"Trying to keep a record of my activities, now are we?"

The apprehensive glances turned into annoyed stares. They had quickly found out that any behavior such as this from Gojyo would most likely lead to irritating trouble.

Still grinning widely, he turned to the man next to him that he had dubbed last time 'Mr. Information Highway' and asked, "So, could you be a pal and tell me when we are finally going to get a sparring session?"

The brown haired boy looked at him curiously, "Well, we should have our first one today. Every Tuesday and Friday evening we have matches…why?"

Gojyo let his spoon drop from his hand with a clank and stood up. "Mind your own business. Later. "

Striding out of the dinning hall with his hands in his pockets, his eyebrows creased as he fell into deep thought.

"That means my first chance will be today to find out exactly why. Or so I hope, anyway." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a cigarette.

"Hmmm…" He stuck the cigarette between his lips, put the pack back into his pocket, and reached for the other one, pulling out his lighter.

He however, did not get around to lighting it due to the fact that the hallway floors started shaking.

"What the fuck is going on!" Gojyo yelled as he wobbled a bit before regaining his footing.

He was about to reach down his dropped lighter, when he noticed someone up ahead running towards him.

Mike was blundering from the other end of the hall straight for Gojyo, not even bothering to slow down as he practically squashed two younger boys on the way to their room.

Shoving two poor unsuspecting boys into opposite walls he pounded to a stop in front of Gojyo, who looked dumb stuck.

He snatched the cigarette that was already tipping out of the kappa's lips, threw it aggressively to the floor, then proceeded to stomp on it with his right foot.

In between stomps he was declaring triumphantly, "There-will-be-no-smoking-within-this-facility!"

Looking up he took a step forward, while Gojyo took a step back.

"No smoking," he said briskly. Then walked past the startled red head with such an air of authority that one may think that he had just been crowned king of insanity.

Behind him Gojyo looked down at his wasted cigarette and muttered gloomily, "Okay…so the sensei is a psycho, is that bad? Well when I get a nicotine fit I suppose it will be."

Sighing, he quickly turned on his heel and marched to his room, coming across two traumatized boys staring at him as they pressed closer to the wall as if in fear of being roughly shoved again as he passed.

He threw open the double doors to the bedroom they all shared. Not bothering to close them he walked purposely to the sliding paper doors at the other end of the room that led to a small balcony while every one else took no notice, and resumed their chatter.

The guys he played cards with yesterday looked up briefly but did not ask him to join in.

Sliding this delicate looking door open a little more carefully, he shut it with a snap.

Leaning his back on it he tilted his head up while closing his eyes, listening to the sound of the many voices on the other end.

Then standing up straight, he opened his blood red eyes and took a few steps, coming close to the dark railing at the front end of the small balcony, briefly wondering with annoyance why there were no chairs.

Gojyo sat down with a plop and reached into his back pocket to pull out another cigarette while his legs dangled over the edge.

Once in his awaiting lips, he looked behind him to see if his energetic instructor was about to come crashing through the sliding doors. Then turning around, he brought cool metal close to his face. The finger poised on his lighter gave the small switch a flick and a tiny flame rose up.

Snapping it shut, he placed the lighter back in his pocket and took a long drag from between two fingers.

After letting out a particularly long stream of smoke, he draped his arms over the railing above his head.

Gojyo watched the smoke trailing from the burning embers he held close to his hand for a few minutes when he noticed the half moon still in the early morning sky.

While lightly kicking his legs in a purely childish way, he asked curiously, "I wonder who you really are."

Below him, Hakkai was in the kitchen at the sink with the cook, helping him scrub his pot from the remains of a failed recipe, while staring out the window at the shy moon, thinking the same thing.

v v v v v v v v v v v v v v

Gojyo struggled to not show a pained face as time dragged on in the most plain, boring room of the dojo. It had absolutely nothing to stare at, no stains on the wall, no upturned carpet, it was all just a bare room with hard polished floors.

He didn't know if he'd be able to survive this for two days a week the entire summer. Soon he'd need to find something to amuse himself with during these lessons of agony.

Everyone, all ages, were required to pay attention in the verbal lessons from Mikes teaching partner, Jacob. For half the period, Gojyo quickly found out, Jacob liked to have idle chatter with randomly selected people like he was one with the age group.

As if, you should hear yourself talk buddy, he thought disdainfully.

Wanting nothing more than his time in this room to be over, his eyes wandered away from Jacob talking enthusiastically to Information Highway about some private school.

It didn't take long for Goyjo to spot a head full of dark wiry hair, tilted slightly while listening with interest to the boring conversation taking place.

Oh yeah. Times almost up for you Green Eyes.

This afternoon, he recalled, there were going to be matches. One on one, two people in intense opposition. All to see how everyone's talents had changed over the span of a year.

In Gojyo's case, how they began.

The kappa knew people were excited when he first entered the dojo, and not just for the sake of seeing a (his smirk abruptly increased in size) gorgeous new face. They wanted to see how this newcomer would fair in their little world, secluded on a hilltop of solitude and green all around.

Though he didn't really mind the place being so far from civilization, he couldn't help but think that there was sixty miles between a member of the opposite sex and himself.

"Al-right!" Jacob said in a loud singsong voice, causing Gojyo to lazily pulled out of his thoughts and look up.

"I think that about does it for today. Why don't you all take a little break before we start the matches?"

Some relieved, some grumbling because of the extended time they would have to wait until they could kick ass, preferably a particular red head, shuffled out of the room.

As Gojyo left among them, he looked around the crowd for his 'victim'. Spotting him, he quickly darted through the crowd and skidded to a stop next to Hakkai. " So…you nervous?"

Hakkai merely blinked before answering, "Oh, well, I usually don't partake in these kind of sessions."

Grinning, Gojyo feigned ignorance and asked, "Why's that?"

Hakkai stopped walking. The kappa halted a few steps ahead and turned back, "Hakkai?"

Hakkai then met his eyes, and he winced. The cut on his face was still very noticeable through wisps of dark hair.

After a few moments of having a furiously serious face, he smiled politely, "Your awfully curious today Gojyo…it's nothing personal. Most people just don't like to join me in these spars."

Then without another word he walked past the red head and continued down the hallway.

Gojyo stood there for some time after that. He was definitely more determined to find out about the green-eyed boy now. But he also couldn't help but wonder about just what happened.

"What the hell…was that?"

Hakkai seemed to not really be himself.

Then again, I barely know the guy. But still, I can't help but feel that I've known him before. And for all I know this could just be normal behavior.

Shrugging he continued once again down the path, up a staircase and down a few more hallways coming to a stop at the bedroom. Hakkai wasn't in there, though everyone else was.

Gojyo figured that it was best not to worry about it at the moment and sat himself down for a few rounds of cards.

Time ticked on and still, Hakkai never showed up. Pretty soon it was time for the matches, and everyone was standing up and making way downstairs into the main room, which was by far the largest in the dojo.

(Gojyo made sure to leave his cigarettes under the cover of his futon in case a certain psycho decided to check his pockets.)

Filing into the room in twos and threes, Gojyo came in last alone. He didn't want to be labeled as anything by walking in with any group of people.

He casually walked over to the far corner of the room and plopped down onto one of the mats.

Sighing, he looked up at Mike who was standing in front of all of them, arms crossed.

At this point he was figuring he better learn to sleep with his eyes open if Mike was preparing to give another lecture like the first day, when Gojyo heard a soft voice whisper to his left, "Hello again."

Tumbling sideways, Gojyo frantically turned to Hakkai who was apparently sitting next to him.

Damn it! Has he been down here this whole time?

He was about to reply when Mikes voice rang throughout the dojo cheerfully, "Alright everyone! It's time to get started on our first matches."

Shooting a fist it the air he slapped his muscled arm shouting, "Let's see this year how all of you fair up this! Hopefully some of you pansies have gotten better!"

Shouts, jeers, and angry yells sprouted from the crowd.

Well what do you know, teacher knows how to rouse up a crowd, Gojyo thought with mild amusement.

"But before that," Mike said after the noise settled down, "we need to see what a certain newcomers talents are!" Then dramatically twisting his body, he jabbed a finger at Gojyo (who only rolled his eyes) and yelled, "OK ROSEY! LETS SEE WHAT YOU GOT!"

Cheers surrounded them as Mike called, " MONO! Get up here! You will be his first opponent."

On one knee to lift himself up, he asked, "Who the hell is Mo-"

Gojyo tumbled over, unable to finish as 'Mono' stood up. This guy was huge!

Holy shit…I never even noticed this guy was here, what the hell?

Hakkai wrapped his fingers around Gojyo's arm as he started tilting when Mono had shown himself, who was now lumbering over to the center mat.

"Are you alright? Gojyo?" Hakkai had paused because for some reason Gojyo was staring at him strangely. He let go of his arm and said, "You better get up there."

The strange look vanished from the kappa's face and he stood up immediately. "Oh, yeah."

Walking purposely over to Mono he put one hand on his hip and outstretched the other, pointing his index finger dangerously close to Mono's face.

"Listen up. I don't want to spend too much of my time on you. I have something, or rather someone else I gotta take care of before the day ends. So let's make this quick."

Smirking he finished under his breath, "Ready to feel the hurt?"

Mono definitely looked like he was from the wild with his messy black hair sticking up in all directions, bulky form, and upturned nose as he roared in anger at Gojyo. In which the red head snapped his arm back to his chest, in fear that Mono was about to bite it.

Hakkai's wore a sheepish expression, well if there was one thing he knew about Gojyo now, he was certainly a flamboyant one.

Mono lifted a heavy arm and swung it toward the red heads face.

Tilting his head back, he easily escaped contact.

"There is no point in being a tub of moving muscle if you can't even move quick enough."

Mono grit his teeth and charged at him, then unexpectedly slid on the matted floor, ready to collide bodies with the other. It was easy to tell that if that happened who would be hurt the most.

Gojyo, already thinking that he would be bored with this fight in no time, easily leapt into the air to avoid impact.

Mono grinned triumphantly at this, and hoisted his arms into the air, grabbing Gojyo with his sausage like fingers around the ankles. Then he slammed him, face first, into the mat.

Hoots and yells could be heard as Gojyo lifted his face from the floor, now sporting a fat red lip.

"Ou…ouch."

Mike, being the only one knowing it wasn't over, yelled, "I wouldn't insult Mono if I were you. He can be quite sensitive."

Pulling himself to his feet he yelled sarcastically to Mike, "Sensitive!? No, couldn't be."

Everyone was dead quiet now. Apparently surprised that the kappa was back on his feet. Gojyo swayed on sight for a moment, due to the impact on his head making him slightly dizzy.

He turned fully to face Mono, whose mouth was hanging open, making him look as stupid as he probably was, the red head grumbled to himself.

Gojyo narrowed his eyes, "Enough of this, I have things to do."

He sprinted to Mono with such speed that mere human eyes could see nothing but a blur, and landed a punch squarely in between the eyes on the large boys face.

Mono went flying back, smacking the back of his head into the dojo wall, and crumpled in an unconscious heap to the ground.

Wasting no time the kappa turned to Mike, "Well? How was that for a newcomer?"

Mike only nodded, although a completely different reaction was received from his classmates. There was two things, many a pair of wide and awed eyes staring at him, and a deafening quiet.

"Then that settles it. As a treat of welcome, how about I get to pick the next fight?"

Mike said nothing to signal his approval. He just leaned back against the wall with his arms crossed and an attentive face as if waiting for a show.

Smirking, Gojyo turned to face the one boy he has been dying to fight since he had got there.

"Hakkai," he said softly but firmly. His burning crimson gaze bore into the other boy's startled emerald ones.

If their classmate's eyes were wide before, they were saucers now.

What is Gojyo doing, Hakkai couldn't help but think with dread.

"Get up here. You're my opponent now."

TBC…

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A/N: This chapter has been revised as of 11:54 PM on March 20, 2009. I'm picking up speed with the fixing up of this fic, two chapters in one day! That's pretty amazing for myself. I find it hard to focus on a fan fiction when all I can do is edit, edit, and edit some more before I get the new stuff up. Patience I suppose would be good.


	4. Chapter 4

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

+ Burgundy Bruises +

WARNING: I will repeat, this is a **yaoi** story. That means, for those of you who don't know, the action of two men dating. Some violence along with male/male sexual encounters will happen. Do not read this if you are offended or dislike such a thing occurring.

Disclaimer: I do not own Saiyuki, Gojyo, or Hakkai. I do however own the few original characters in this fan fiction.

- - - - -

_Chapter 4_

v v v v v v v v v v v v v v

"_Hakkai," he said softly but firmly. His burning crimson gaze bore into the other boy's startled emerald ones._

_If their classmate's eyes were wide before, they were saucers now. _

_What is Gojyo doing, Hakkai couldn't help but think with dread._

"_Get up here. You're my opponent now."_

v v v v v v v v v v v v v v

Though this statement was directed at him, Hakkai was the first one to recover.

Laughing softy, which only succeeded in scaring the people around him, he asked, "Now why would you want to do that, Gojyo?"

The kappa's posture slackened and his pointed finger slouched down as he looked at Hakkai as if he just asked a rather stupid question. "To beat you, it's said that you're the best here."

He straightened up and put his hands on his hips. "It's time to put you in your place," he said with a sneer.

Stunned silence quickly turned into, "Oooooooh!" And things like, "He's got it in for you Hakkai!" Or, "It's time to get what you deserve!"

Hakkai looked momentarily hurt before his face became blank.

Gojyo seemed to notice, because while everyone else was busy placing bets, he walked over to Hakkai. The red head stopped a foot away while the man turned his green eyes from his lap to Gojyo's face, waiting.

The other took a few moments to scan the large slanting scar partially hidden by strands of dark hair, which in turn confused Hakkai to no end.

Why is he always doing that, the boy thought nervously.

"Looks like your healing up nicely."

"But…Gojyo?" He suddenly stopped as the kappa placed a hand on his shoulder and bent down, bringing his face close to his own so that no one else would be able to hear his words.

For a moment Gojyo sullenly looked at the metal clasps that were holding firmly to the top of Hakkai's ear before he whispered, "I wanted to fight you…so that I can prove to them that your human."

Hakkai's eyes widened behind his glasses as he strained to hear the next thing Gojyo was about to say.

"Because I don't like people talking about my friends the way I've heard them talk about you. And I can't very well just kick _their _asses while I'm at this place. Ok?"

Then he gripped Hakkai's shoulder tighter as if in reassurance, then let go and leant back, soon pleased to see a genuine smile on the usually blank face.

Grinning himself, he stuck out a hand. "Let's go then."

Taking the offer, the red head helped him up and turned to walk back to the center mat.

Following his lead, Hakkai couldn't help but have a few after thoughts.

Are we really proving something to them together, or are you doing this to prove something to yourself?

Taking his first few steps on the mat, he then grew a bit anxious.

I'm not what you think I am my friend.

Mike, who saw the whole exchange, smiled broadly and stalked between the two of them. Raising his arms above his head, he yelled to his students, "Are weee allll ready?!"

The eager shouts from the crowd confirmed (Gojyo rolled his eyes), he then looked at both fighting participants.

Gojyo gave a thumbs-up and then crouched low into position. Mike tilted his head back to Hakkai, who only nodded silently and turned his body sideways, cautiously bending his joints as if hesitant to begin.

Satisfied, he threw his arms down and stepped back, once again leaning against the wall while his callused hand idly rubbed the stubble on his chin.

Wasting no time, Gojyo ran straight for Hakkai with a surprising display of speed.

He pushed up from the mat when he came about six feet from the other man, bringing himself above his opponent and flipped his body wildly in the air. Then came down quickly with his heel aimed at Hakkai's face.

Hakkai at the time didn't know what caused him to anticipate Gojyo making the first move, he just somehow knew that he was much more likely out of the both of them.

And he knew, from watching the last fight, that jumping was a major part of Gojyo's fighting style.

He crossed his arms above his head and the kappa's heel made such a hard impact that the crowd cringed as the cracking sound from the attack.

Using Hakkai's arms as leverage, Gojyo pushed him self back with his heal and landed once again into place, so that he could analyze the damage at a distance.

He needed to know how much Hakkai's body could withstand before they really started to fight.

Quickly scanning the other boy over, his mouth flapped open.

Hakkai was already back into position, arms raised, with not so much as a bruise on him.

The mysterious green-eyed male smirked in a very similar way to the kappa's, raising an arm slightly to cover his face from the crowd, but leaving it clearly visible to Gojyo across the room.

To Gojyo's pleasant surprise, he mouthed, "Let's skip the introduction."

Giving no more warning that that, he leapt forward and landed a punch at the red head square in the jaw.

A splatter of blood made a grotesque slapping noise as it painted the fighting mat.

Damn he hits hard, the red head thought excidedly as he swiped at the corner of his bruised mouth. Without another thought the kappa instantly turned around and mirrored Hakkai's action…almost.

At the last second he directed his hit to Hakkai's chest, causing the other to step back from the blow and wheeze from the pressure.

Gojyo decided to refrain from hitting the other boy in the face. He would not make any more marks, although he thought it unusual for his conscience to make an appearance now. He summed it up to how delicate Hakkai actually looked, though he really wasn't.

His thoughts turned a bit more perverted as he pondered the slender apperance of the other boy. One could almost call him beautiful, but not handsome.

Maybe I'd allow myself to give him a big, fat, swollen lip. By more, pleasurable, means, Gojyo thought with an inward chuckle.

Smirking a bit, he backed away while Hakkai continued to make little choking noises from the kick to the chest.

Gojyo took this time to look around, seeing what materials he could use. One of the things he liked to use to his advantage in a fight was the environment.

His eyes fell onto Mono for a few moments, wondering what the hell the guy was still doing there on the floor where Gojyo had left him, gazing stupidly into space.

Bare walls, padded floors, psychotic teacher, and a whole bunch of shit heads staring at Hakkai like he's a contaminated leper. Hmmm…

It looked like there was nothing but our own bodies to defend ourselves with. Which isn't all that bad either, Gojyo thought once again with not so pure intentions.

He noted that he was wearing a white tang top and his good old tan pants. Hakkai was wearing jeans and a long sleeved gray shirt.

Well, there's not much else I can take note of. Unless I…heh. He stopped his dirty mind before it got too far once he noticed his opponent had started to recover.

Hakkai had regained his breath, and was watching Gojyo apprehensively. Something about how his expression that changed from thoughtful, to downright devious was beyond him.

What could you possibly be up to now, the green eyed boy wondered.

He took a step forward, Hakkai took a step back. "Gojyo…what are you-"

As if on que to his voice, the red head launched into a series of punches, to which Hakkai firmly blocked.

If he was confused before, now he was just frustrated.

It's like Gojyo isn't even trying to make any of these attacks hit me, he's slow, and only aiming for my chest and stomach. What is going on?

Suddenly changing pace, the blows became sleek and fierce.

Surprised at the change, Hakkai focused all his attention in his movements to block each and every one.

Bingo, the red head inwardly exclaimed.

Pausing in his onslaught, Gojyo swung his right leg around, effectively slamming it into both of Hakkai's, causing him to loose his footing.

Before he hit the mat, Gojyo quickly rotated his body. Kicking Hakkai again at the waist, flipping him over in the process so that he fell on his stomach.

Wasting no time the kappa pressed his foot into the small of the others back, then reached down, taking a hold of Hakkai's wrists, and yanking his arms backward.

Gasping out loud at the unexpected impact on the floor and his shoulder blades grinding together, Hakkai's wrists were slipped out of the red heads grip, only to now be replaced the ends of his long sleeved shirt.

Gojyo frowned as he began twisting the fabric around.

Once satisfied with the knot he managed to tie with Hakka's sleeves, he removed his foot from the back it was pressed on while pulling on the knot, righting the man.

He let go and stepped back to admire his handy work.

I think that's using the environment to your amusement rather than advantage. At least he shouldn't able to use his arms now.

Several seconds later, Hakkai's still hadn't moved from when Gojyo set him standing.

"Hey, you dead over there?"

The kappa starting to feel a little apprehension. He glanced over to his peers. Most in the front were stricken with fear and had edged backward as far from them as possible.

Why would anyone be afraid of Hakkai, the kappa pondered. He was just so…

Though some boys in the back cast knowing smiles to each other and looked on in enjoyment.

Then, very slowly, Hakkai rotated his body to the front, lips turned downward in a frustrated grimace, and a bright red flush across his face.

Completely facing the person who put him in this situation, he asked, "What did I do to deserve this?"

"Woah hang on a second there Hakkai, I just did that so you wouldn't be able to move your arms while we fought an- "

"Oh, is that all?" Hakkai cut him off, looking relieved.

"Uh…yeah?" This guy just keeps getting weirder and weirder.

"Alright then, shall we continue?"

"Yeah, sure," Gojyo said as he once again bent his leg joints low to the mats.

I should probably end this now, or I might do something to make him really upset. Gojyo didn't know when it happened, but somewhere down the line he decided he wanted to be on this mysterious boys good side.

He didn't really understand why, but it was like Hakkai was fragile, but he wasn't. At least physically he could hold his own, he just wasn't sure what about him made him seem weak.

So, feeling he needed to be careful, he let his muscles relax as much as possible. His next attack would be finishing but soft, so hitting a vital point should do it.

Without warning he darted forward for the second and final time.

Hakkai automatically, or tried, to put his arms up in defense.

His eyes widened in recognition as he briefly glanced back at his knotted sleeves, then back to Gojyo had already jumped up, a leg outstretched.

The kappa's foot connected to his unprotected chest with a hollow thud.

Hakkai stumbled a couple steps back until his body collapsed on the mats, wheezing loudy from being robbed of his air.

Gojyo stood straight, facing away from his friend in pain. Hair shadowing his eyes. He knew soon after this whole thing started that Hakkai didn't really like fighting.

And that fighting a friend he seemed to have a much worse time with. He wasn't really sure if he considered Hakkai a friend, but it looked that way for the other boy, who nobody else seemed to talk to except Gojyo himself.

The kappa always thought of it as a nice tussle, a game, something to entertain and pass the time with. A challenge to test your strength. But it's not right when the other doesn't want it. That's just being a bully. But Hakkai had agreed to the fight, hadn't he? He even looked happy in the beginning.

At least, he thought bitterly, he proved to those stubborn, judgmental assholes that Hakkai is an actual person with weaknesses and not an unbeatable monster. He was a student here just like everyone else.

His ears could still hear Hakkai's strangled breath.

He shouldn't have that much trouble breathing after that, he thought worriedly.

A few yells from the other side of the room drew his attention and he glanced over in time to see Mike running over to Hakkai, yelling at one of his students to get a nurse.

Confused, he looked down at the boy curled in a fetal position on the floor and saw his face full of fear as he tried again and again to draw breath.

His head snapped up in horrified realization. Why the hell didn't anybody tell me this about him?

Hakkai was having an asthma attack.

TBC…

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

A/N: I kind of wish I had the motivation to re-do this WHOLE story, sometimes I don't even make sense to myself. Ah well, the best I can do is revise, and then finish this story. I started it too long ago to be really into making it again. This chapter has been edited as of March 21, 2009 at 2:12 PM.


	5. Chapter 5

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

+ Burgundy Bruises +

WARNING: I will repeat, this is a **yaoi** story. That means, for those of you who don't know, the action of two men dating. Some violence along with male/male sexual encounters will happen. Do not read this if you are offended or dislike such a thing occurring.

Disclaimer: I do not own Saiyuki, Gojyo, or Hakkai. I do however own the few original characters in this fan fiction.

- - - - -

_Chapter 5_

The rest was a blur of sounds and motion. Mike's shouts echoed up the hallway as he ran toward the nurse's quarters.

Some of the bigger, more thuggish of the students, stepped forward and roughly took hold of Hakkai's limbs.

This only seemed to cause more reason for panic, and since his arms were still bound, Hakkai frantically started to kick out.

One of the men growled and backhanded him in the face, hard, effectively knocking him unconscious. The sensei was already far ahead of them calling for help, and did not notice the harsh exchange.

Gojyo wanted nothing more than to call out, to run over there and kick their sorry asses for treating Hakkai that way. Yell that he'd carry him where ever he needed to be himself.

He got as far as staring at his suffocating class mate being hauled to the higher levels of the dojo, listening to all the bare feet pat softly against the mats as everyone began returning to their room, and feeling the dull vibrations against his heels as Mono finally got up and squeezed through the door after the rest of them.

For some reason the kappa just couldn't find it in him to make a move. He was too surprised at the unexpected change in the situation.

Gojyo grimaced as he felt guilt over take him, if it was anything else he may have been able to do something, but it was too convincing that he would only make it so much worse. Bad luck haunted him and followed him where ever he went. He couldn't help but think that, since that notion had been drilled into him right after birth.

Those were the shared thoughts of more than handfuls of humans and demons alike.

Gojyo fell backward onto the mat with his legs stretched out in front of him and buried the the scarred half of his face with a trembling hand. The two light scars from the side of his jaw to the center of one angular cheek, were harsh reminders of how useless he actually felt. Despite the cocky attitude he rarely let slip, there was something much different in his personality that he never let anyone see.

His muscles tensed as he gripped his skin so fiercely that one would think he was trying to tear the marked flesh off.

He smirked bitterly as he asked to the empty room, "Why does that need to happen? Will it always be like this?"

v v v v v v v v v v v v v v

"Put him on the bed, now!" Turning to the harassed looking nurse, Mike proceeded to yell, "What are you just standing there for? Get that breathing machine thing out of the storage room!"

The nurse looked incredulously up at Mike, who was turning blue in the face, "And how do you expect for me to know what that is, or where it is in that-that-heap of junk cramped into a closet? I'm new here!"

Pausing in his antics, the man remembered that his other nurse had retired and he hired this woman the previous summer.

He glanced at her profile and noted the agitated way she was popping her gum, how her clothes where at least three sizes too small and how ridiculously curly her chestnut colored hair was.

He tried his best to keep his voice even as he said, "It's big."

She raised a finely waxed eyebrow.

"With a pump."

Nothing.

"And a tube."

She could at least nod her head.

"It's….long."

She smiled sarcastically and said, "Right away sir," then she made her way to the small closet in the far corner, her heels clicking all the way on the polished white floor.

Grumbling Mike turned to Hakkai, "Is she from the town hospital or a porno flick?"

Hearing no response he looked down at his silent student, then remembered what he was here for.

He reached out a broad hand and gently ruffled Hakkai's hair, "Poor guy, things seem to go wrong at the worst time for you."

Some one nudged his side and he turned around to see the nurse, looking very irritated, as she said, "Please move so that I can get this done."

Mike put up his hands, "I – mean – you – no – harm," and backed away, slowly heading for the door.

The nurse rolled her eyes, "Unbelievable…"

Rolling his own eyes, Mike decided to check on the rest of his students and figure out what they were going to do for the rest of the day if it wasn't matches. Hopefully nothing to do with mischief, but he new better than to think that.

Grumbling he trudged up the stairs.

His thoughts returned to the clearly inexperienced nurse. What had he been doing that day he had hired her? The three hours she spent making those pieces of yarn curl like a pigs tail could have been spent getting to know the equipment and her quarters better, he'd have to quiz her later and make sure she at least knew all the basic medical procedures.

v v v v v v v v v v v v v v

Carefully, the nurse slipped the plastic tube down the young mans throat, securing a banded strap around his head to keep it in place, then preceded to turn the machine on.

Expecting to be extremely noisy and bug her to no end, surprisingly all it did was softy hum as it moved oxygen through out the body it was supposed to servicing.

Smiling in satisfaction, the nurse took her gaze from the long tube, following it to a round cylinder shape with a rubber pump inside it that was now slowly moving up and down.

Honestly, she would have had no clue what this was unless that large and annoying man hadn't told her what to get.

Shrugging, she turned and her heels clicked one again as she left the patient's room, making a mental note to come in a half an hour later and turn off the machine.

"We wouldn't want him waking up in a panic and choking himself to death."

v v v v v v v v v v v v v v

I was getting dark, he silently noted. The sun was starting to set. Light crept through the window and fell onto his unmoving body.

Gojyo still wouldn't move.

But now, as he looked at the ceiling, the strands of hair that usually stayed limp and unnoticed on his face lit up, causing it to have a rich, red glow.

Gojyo hated it.

So he laughed and said, "It's not me I should feel pity for, I need to go see Hakkai and make sure he's alright."

Sitting up, he cracked his neck. "Of course it's not me, or some black cloud following me around. Red is just a color after all. Hakkai's just accident prone, it seems like he got hurt a lot before I even got here."

More sure of himself now, he jumped up and finally, headed out the door, only to stop.

Where the hell is that nurse's place again? I should have asked the second I got here…she's probably the only hips in this place.

v v v v v v v v v v v v v v

Did….I black out? How embarrassing, was Hakkai's first thought as he slowly started to regain consciousness.

I don't remember it being so bright in here…the match, is it over?

He quickly sat up and gasped, "Gomof ith nod youn falphm." Which would have been 'Gojyo it's not your fault,' if only there wasn't something choking him.

His eyes widened in shock and he drew his hands up to his throat.

There seemed to be invisible hands that he couldn't protect himself from.

He tried to suck in air at an alarming rate and only ran out of breath. Gripping the tube he couldn't see, he frantically pulled.

What would have been distracting, if he wasn't choking, was the loud swearing that started to come from outside of the room at that moment.

"-stupid bastard sensei needs to make a map of this damn place." Gojyo finished as he walked into the room. "Final-"

Hakkai.

Choking.

Panicking.

No longer breathing.

"HAKKAI!" He ran to the boys bedside, grasped the breathing tube in a vice like grip, placed his hand firmly on Hakkai's shoulder, and yanked as hard as he could.

The foot and a half oxygen pump roughly came out and Hakkai started to cough.

Gojyo glared at the long piece of plastic, as if it were some living force that wanted to intentionally hurt someone, and threw it aside, causing the cylinder with the pump to fall off of the bedside table with a crash.

Unconcerned for the thing, Gojyo used his free hand to grab his friends other shoulder and pull him closer.

Nothing new but the swelling bruise on Hakkai's left cheek from that backhand he got.

I still need to get that prick back for doing that, Gojyo thought angrily.

The kappa let go and Hakkai looked up at him.

He held his hands up to his cover his mouth, trying to calm the quick gusts of air he was so desperately trying to get in only moments ago, grimacing as he did so. I'm pathetic like this. My lungs were not even this bad when I was a child.

"Are you going to be alright man?"

He paused in his thoughts to look up at the red head only to nod, and continue a slightly less severe coughing fit.

Very unconvinced, Gojyo shifted on the bed so that he sat next to injured figure, unnoticed by the obviously pained boy in front of him.

Which is why Hakkai was startled into silence for a moment as the back of his shirt was lifted and a warm hand slid up his back and between his shoulder blades.

"Relax," the kappa breathed into his ear. "Stop worrying me like this and cut it out."

Hakkai closed his eyes. The harsh coughs slowed, then turned into dull gasps of air, and finally subsided to a slightly breathless breathing pattern.

Gojyo stopped rubbing his back, and smoothed down the rumples he caused in Hakkai's shirt. He smiled at his classmate and turned to walk to the edge of the bed.

As the springs creaked, the taps of high heels echoing on the hard floor grew louder.

The nurse reached the doorway, her hair that used to be in glossy chestnut ringlets sticking out on all opposite ends.

"What's with all the yelling?"

She looked at Hakkai. "So you woke up did you? And did you choke yourself idiot?"

"Excuse me Miss," Gojyo said loudly, effectively getting the angry woman's attention, "but my friend here would like a glass of water."

She stared. A good seven seconds later she noticeably looked the kappa up and down, and asked sweetly, "And what can I get you, Mr…?"

The redhead was unable to believe this, what a rotten time for him to meet the one girl in this place.

In any other situation Gojyo would have fully taken up the opportunity the nurse was clearly giving him.

"Just call me Gojyo," he said with a wink.

Eyeing him in a more defined manner, she returned slyly, "Oh, I will be soon."

As the nurse left the room, with a definite sway in her hips, Gojyo thought he could definitely use the obvious distraction the woman clearly was offering to take his mind away from the fact that he was in a _dojo_ in the middle of _nowhere_. But there was a certain thing that he felt more obliged to indulge in.

It's important, and that other 'thing' was sitting right next to him.

Leaning back on the sickeningly fluffy white hospital pillows, Hakkai smiled warmly at Gojyo, who returned a slight quirk of his lips that couldn't be defined as a smirk or a smile.

"Did you succeed?"

Gojyo blinked, "Huh?"

Hakkai look down at his hands, "You needed to prove something…" he trailed off, hoping his friend would catch on.

Realizing what he meant, the red head smiled arrogantly and said, "Of course I did. Now everyone knows that you are beatable. And no superhuman freak, psycho, socially retarded or-"

"Ahem." They both froze and looked at the doorway, where the nurse was standing with a tray and on it was a glass of water, a few bottles of medicine, and some needles.

Hakkai visibly paled.

"Your water," she brusquely said as she stepped over to Hakkai, setting down the glass with a clank.

Turning to Gojyo she said with a glint in her eye, "And if you would just…wait for me outside."

He was about to answer when he heard beside him, "Excuse me ma'm, I don't think we are allowed to be given doses of medicine here unless we present a signed form from our…" he gulped, "parent or guardian."

Ignoring his comment, the nurse picked up a few bottles and removed the caps, then set them down and picked up a needle and a vial. "Why don't you just let me do my job?" She sighed, never once taking the time to even look at Hakkai.

Gojyo had an eerie feeling. It probably had to do with the way those emerald eyes watched the nurses every move, never taking them off the vial as it slowly filled with clear liquid.

A sheen of sweat appeared on Hakkai's forehead as he became visibly nervous on a face he usually kept so carefully void of any emotion. "I don't really think that it's necessary."

Then he smiled in a clearly forceful way, "I feel just fine now." But even as he said so, his breathing pick up in speed as he unconsciously slid his hand up his arm to rest where shots are usually administered.

Even though Gojyo didn't understand why, he could tell that this was one thing excruciatingly tough for Hakkai to go through. Everyone has a significant object of fear, even if they don't know it.

Yet, from a rather recent experience, he knew his friend was no weakling. Something like fear of needles is usually a child's terror. Nonetheless, whatever the reason, Gojyo didn't like seeing Hakkai behaving like this.

Hakkai didn't even bat an eye as Gojyo stood up and slid casually over to the nurse just as she was turning around with the sharp point in hand.

He saw some kind of sadistic glee, as she did so. Obviously she liked being in a position of powere where she felt no one could do anything about her decisions. Acting quickly he placed a hand on her hip, clearly invading her personal space.

That look was instantly wiped off her face as she stared up at Gojyo, she smirked, "Yes?"

Barely containing his disgust at her previous actions of sadism, he leaned closer, all the while bringing his hand up to slip the vial of medicine out of her now nimble grip.

He leaned down and kissed her neck softly then whispered, "Where's your room?"

She giggled at a sickening high pitch and said in what she must have thought was a seducing manner, "Eager, huh? Just follow me."

Her heels clicked once again across the polished floor as Gojyo set the vial along with the needle back on the tray.

He turned without a glance at the seemingly forgotten boy on the bed.

Though if he had, he may have seen what greatly resembled a statue that usually sits in a cemetery, silent and sorrowful, unable to twitch if a crow perched on it's cold, lifeless shoulders.

As Gojyo left, Hakkai refused to move.

It was nice, really. Alone again, how it should be.

I'm ok now.

He continued this thought uselessly as he slowly leaned back to rest his emotionless face on the pillows waiting bellow him.

He heard the creak of a bed not far away, and the harsh breathing that might as well have been shouts in his ears.

At that moment, he would have taken anything, even a dose that had to be _injected_ into his blood stream, just to be deaf to the noises of sex.

v v v v v v v v v v v v v v

The night was what you would call peaceful. Though in some twisted way to anyone who was awake, you could feel the shifting directions of the breeze, causing the feeling that there was something yet to come.

However, there was some one who didn't believe in 'all that superstitious crap'.

Sometimes, Gojyo seriously wondered about his sanity in situations like the one he was in at the moment.

Good going, here I am looking for my jeans when Hakkai is most likely in pain in that crazy nurses patient room. And what really rubs me the wrong way is how he just looks so _used_ to being alone. I know that _I_ never liked it.

He shuddered as he looked back on the bed with tacky purple sheets draped over a now limp and lightly snoring body.

That woman was basically a plastic fuck doll during their romp under the covers. Someone who thought highly of herself and leaned back while her supposedly loyal servants did all the work she commanded of them.

Not that the kappa minded, that was pretty much what he did. He was there to please.

He zipped up his pants and reached for his crumpled white tang top from the floor.

Shrugging it on he headed for the door, he eased it open he grabbed his brown leather jacket off the doorknob and shut it as silently as possible.

"Wouldn't want to wake queeny up for another round," he snickered.

Gojyo spun on his heel and faced the darkness ahead. Pausing to squint through the night, his started off at a slow pace down the hall.

He wondered how Mr. Green Eyes was doing as he felt around his pockets for the desired nicotine.

Pausing in his steps, he smacked his fore head. "That's right, I hid them so Mike wouldn't freak out."

He frowned, "I really need one of those after that…" Unconsciously he started walking again as his thoughts wandered aimlessly.

The soft taps of his feet echoed throughout the empty hallways, and then he felt a sudden rush of cool air.

Gojyo was outside, the damp grass freezing beneath him. Guessing this was a fine enough substitute for smokes, he took his chances strolling around the silent gardens.

Taking his time, he wandered in the direction he figured was the window where everyone else would most likely be sleeping, and where he should be.

Continuing on his way, he ran a few choice tunes through his head to whistle, "It's so damn quiet…" No sooner that those words left his lips that he heard an unnaturally loud rustling of leaves and the breaking of sticks (with a few choice curses) above him.

"The hell!" Gojyo sprinted around the corner and pressed his body close to the building, eyes wide, as Mike fell to the damp ground.

"ARRRGGHHH! Damn tree, there is no way I weigh that much!" Standing up hurriedly he dusted himself of with his right hand and used his other the rub his sore backside.

"And after all that, surprisingly enough that delinquent red head wasn't on the balcony breathing in his own death from those toxic piece of rolled up shit!"

On the other side of the wall, said red head broke out into a sweat, and tightly grit his teeth.

"Ah, well…I'm sure I'll catch that tro-" he abruptly paused.

Mikes eyes seemed to shine, then he thrust his fists into the air and enthusiastically whispered (as if he just remembered people close by are sleeping), "He must be hiding somewhere in the dojo! Must have thought the balcony would be wayyyy to obvious!"

He took a few quick steps and was quickly reminded of his earlier fall, so he crouched down and started to wobble away in the direction of Gojyo's hiding place chucking softly to himself.

"Sneaky little bastard huh? Well…I'll get you soon enough."

Even as he rounded the corner, he failed to notice Gojyo, mentally suffering, freezed up against the wall.

That mans going to kill me one of these days, the kappa thought as he watched the retreating back of his sensei.

He let out the deep breath he hadn't known he was holding until that moment, watching it form in the chilly air and glint of the moonlight rounding the building from the front.

Gojyo strained his ears, making sure he couldn't hear the rustle of wet grass caused by feet, then he all but ran over to the tree Mike previously fell out of.

Reaching up, he took hold of the lowest branch in a tight grip, and hauled the rest of his body up quickly.

He steadily made his way up to the top most branch that…well, used to be sticking out to the small balcony of the sleeping quarters.

It was now broken. Destroyed. Completely snapped in half.

Thanks to a certain crazy ass teach…but I came this far, so I might as well go all the way.

Easing away from the sturdy middle of the tree, he carefully balanced himself on what was left of the branch.

Easily enough he managed to stretch one of his legs over to the railing…one.

The kappa looked back to his leg on the branch, then to the one on the railing, "Shit."

He needed to get back to the room before Mike, he needed to be there.

Gojyo was just about ready to try and jump from the difficult position he was in when he heard something from a few windows over.

Someone was breathing so hard it could almost be considered wheezing.

He smirked, "Sounds like I wasn't the only one that had some action tonight."

The kappa was about to turn away from the sounds when they changed into a loud and violent coughing attack.

His body tensed as he realized the room the window belonged too.

Taking one last glance at the room that contained his awaiting bed, he jerked his body into the air and half landed, half stumbled, onto the cool earth.

Regaining himself quickly, he took off in a sprint to the nurse's room.

Screw getting in trouble, there would be no fun to this place if the only strong and interesting guy here suffocates.

v v v v v v v v v v v v v v

Hakkai sat up from his bed in a cold sweat gasping for air. His hand flew up to his power limiters on his left ear.

Feeling the pang of metal against his fingertips, he willed his body to relax again.

"Not another one." The dreams of his transformation refused to stop coming to him.

They have been getting more frequent since last summer.

Hakkai keeps telling himself that it hasn't happened for years and it's rather unlikely that it will again anytime soon, but his subconscious simply won't believe it.

He fisted the paper-thin sheets in a white knuckled grip.

The boy tried to force a shaky grin, "Much more of this and I just might go insa-"

Predictable…Hakkai thought as cough was torn from his already sore throat.

This cough was followed by another, and another, and another…

He cupped both hands over his mouth.

After a few moments, when he thought the worst had pasted, then he seemed unable to breathe.

His ribcage hurt, his lungs were burning, Hakkai could feel a headache coming on, and he still couldn't breathe.

Help.

"HAKKAI!"

v v v v v v v v v v v v v v

Gojyo had stepped into the room for a second time that night, his breath coming out in short gusts of air.

Unable to greet him, Hakkai looked up apologetically.

Ignoring this, Gojyo went instantly to his friend's side and sat close, his long legs dangling of the side of the bed.

He brought his hand up and firmly rubbed Hakkai's clothed back to try and relax him.

"Don't you dare go dying on me Hakkai," he joked with a confident grin.

Doing his best to calm himself, the green-eyed man smiled weakly in return. "What are you doing here so late Go-" he was abruptly cut off by a cool hand pressed to his forehead.

It felt nice on his overheated skin.

"Now you have a fever? Geez, I can't always be your mom."

Hakkai immediately opened his mouth to apologize and tell the kappa he didn't need to be checked upon like a child, but Gojyo beat him with, "I guess just for tonight, I'll wait until you go to sleep. Don't want you to bleed again," he said as he got up.

"Bleed?"

But the red head was already walking over to the cabinets for medical supplies He pulled out a few paper towels and walked back over to the bed.

He reached out and took hold of Hakkai's wrist, he then saw that his hands were covered with blood.

My throat must be torn from when Gojyo took the oxygen pump out. No wonder coughing hurt so much.

Gently, the kappa cleaned off all the blood he could, his bronze hands working quickly around Hakkai's pale fingers, and carelessly tossed the soiled item into a nearby wastebasket.

He then scanned the room and said, "Ah hah," when he spotted the uncomfortable looking plastic chair that the nurse would use to sit in at her desk.

Hakkai frowned.

"Your not really planning on staying in here with me all night, are you?"

Gojyo ignored this as he picked up the chair and brought it over to the bed, he dropped it noisily onto the tiled floor and slumped down into it.

He then stared at Hakkai expectantly, "Well? What are you waiting for, sleep already."

He blinked.

The red head sighed, then something caught his eye, "Hang on a minute."

He pulled a terrible sounding squeak from his chair as he leaned in, has hand darted out to cup the other boys face before he could pull away in surprise as he delicately pressed his tongue on the edge of Hakkai's chin.

Too shocked to move, he sat there frozen as Gojyo lazily dragged the wet appendage from the end of his jaw line to the corner of his mouth.

When the kappa pulled back he flicked his tongue over his own lips, as if tasting him a second time, "You had blood on your face."

TBC…

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

A/N: Holy moon pie, another chapter edited as of March 25, 2009. I only have one more chapter to edit until I can post the many YEAR delayed chapters to complete the story! Celebration tiiiiimmmeee! Well…after I edit the sixth chapter I suppose then I will. Ah pooh.


	6. Chapter 6

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

+ Burgundy Bruises +

WARNING: I will repeat, this is a **yaoi** story. That means, for those of you who don't know, the action of two men dating. Some violence along with male/male sexual encounters will happen. Do not read this if you are offended or dislike such a thing occurring.

Disclaimer: I do not own Saiyuki, Gojyo, or Hakkai. I do however own the few original characters in this fan fiction.

- - - - -

_Chapter 6_

Hakkai was sleeping soundly in the patient's room. The one at his side smiled softy in his c hair and folded his arms over his chest. He studied the sleeping boys face.

He's so delicate looking, but holds such power.

Eye's dropping slowly, Gojyo let the satisfied smiled slip off his face as he joined Hakkai in slumber.

v v v v v v v v v v v v v v

_He was hiding, always hiding after another failure. The child couldn't help but let the tears and sorrowful moans wrack his body. _

_I can never be good enough. Mother can't ever love me because I am a bad boy. Monster, I am a bad monster who can't stop her from being sad. I make mommy so sad…_

_The child paused in his thoughts to burry his head in his bent knees and lift up his small, bruised hands to cover his ears from his brother's shouts in the other room._

"_Mother! Stop this right now! Everything's alright, no one is here to get you!" Jin descended upon the woman flailing around with a wooden spoon in her hand._

"_Wretched little beast tried to speak to me with his filthy tongue! Oh, but I got him sweet Jin, got him good!" A crooked smile graced the woman's lips as Jin managed to catch the hand brandishing the spoon like a weapon._

"_Mother, just please…calm dow-" he was cut off as his mother released the spoon to Jin and draped her arms around his broad shoulders. She sobbed into his neck, "You left Jin! I didn't know where you went. I was so worried! Don't you ever leave mommy like that again, do you hear me!"_

_Jin lifted his hand to smooth strands of hair away from his mothers face, "I just went on a walk with Gojyo, I didn't really go anywhere. Please.."_

_A rage filled scream erupted from the distressed woman's throat. _

"_I was alone for that?!" His mother then proceeded to sob into his shoulder, Jin tried his best to sooth her with tender hushing gestures. "You and your father are exactly the same!" He flinched, "I would never abandon you mom." _

_It seemed to be the appropriate answer, for the woman's features twisted into something he suspected was a smile and her hand slid up his neck and into his unruly dark hair, fisting them in a tight grip and then bringing his head down to her level. _

_She spoke directly to him never breaking eye contact, emphasizing the seriousness in her tone, "That's very good Jin, you were always a good boy. Though this disgusting fondness for that creature is unbearable. He is quite the little monster, isn't he Jin," she chuckles softly, as if she had made a rather amusing joke, "He'll only bring misfortune to everyone he encounters, chaos to all! Put him away!"_

_Jin calmly decided to try and humor his mother, and took a small step back without turning around and reaching a hand up to the knob on the door behind him. Large eyes had been staring out from the crack of darkness at the encounter, and was then abruptly shut out when Jin closed the door with a snap._

"_Alright mother, he's gone now…"_

_But he noticed that his mother's eyes had a glossy look to them now, a disturbing fire had lit in there as she seemed to stare right through him. _

_He shivered from that familiar look, he silently pleaded in his head that he wasn't going to have to do what his mother had forced him to do countless times over._

"_So much like your father…so much…dear..," the woman then viciously began attacking her sons mouth._

_The child in the other room had not moved his face from the door that had been rudely shut in his face by the only person he had believed wouldn't do such a thing. _

_Upon hearing the harsh breathing and the unmistakable sound of two people tripping over themselves, Gojyo tried desperately to cover his ears. He shut his eyes tightly trying to imagine he was somewhere else._

_Then it hit him that he could go somewhere else, his head flew up immediately. He didn't want to disturb his mother by leaving the room and letting her see him, so he looked wildly around, searching for some escape. _

_The only light that managed to seep into the room was from the grimy window off to the side. The child stood up on shaky legs and stumbled over, hands falling on the sill. _

_With all of his tiny strength he hoisted it open, and stared out bellow. It was not long of a fall, he thought nervously. Two stories. _

_Gingerly, he hefted one leg over the side, and then the other. Gojyo just sat there for a few moments to ready himself, then tensed his small arms at his sides and pushed off the windows ledge._

_He landed harshly on his feet, his body crumpled in on itself from the impact and he fell over. Now in a fetal position, he lay on the gravel with wide eyes trying to steady his breathing._

_That…that wasn't so bad, he thought bravely._

_The boy trembled terribly as he managed to pick himself off the ground and rest one of his forearms against the wall._

_His eyes squinted from the sting his ankles were brining him, as he began edging his way along the wall into an alley that he knew would lead out into the forest where he and Jin occasionally would walk._

_Gojyo liked the forest, particularly because if you went far enough you would come across a clearing that had a field stretched for at least two miles with nothing but faded grass and dandelions. There was no one was around and he could play freely without any dirty looks from the villagers._

_His tiny legs began moving more hastily at the prospect of his special place, which inevitably led him to trip. His cheek smacked the dirt-covered ground._

_Gojyo felt a small swell of panic in his chest as he thought feebly, what if I can't make it.._

_Jerkily he tried to force himself up again, until the heel of a boot cracked down on his spine._

_A small gasp escaped the child's lips. A low chuckle emitted from on obviously male figure above him._

"_Your not going anywhere….at the moment at least." A large hand then plunged down, reaching under the boy's torso to grab the scruff of his shirt. _

_The man lifted him up, bringing him to an eye level for scrutiny. There was a smudge of filth on his check from being on with the ground, and the half-breeds eyes were wide with fear, as they should be. His teeth were grit in obvious pain and his weak hands where gripped onto his wrist, nails digging into the hold the man had on him._

"_Your even covered in filth. Hmph, it suits you. You don't even deserve to be near Suzy." The angry man spit in the boy's face and watched him whimper. _

_His angry features turned into a pained one as his arm shook slightly, jerking Gojyo's small body in midair like some sort of rag doll. _

"_It's all your fault, you stupid brat. She wouldn't be insane if you hadn't come along! You ungrateful piece of shit child! Why aren't you gone yet?! Don't you see that your mothers misery is all your own damn fault!? I may have had a chance if it weren't for you!"_

_He shoved Gojyo away, who fell heavily on the ground once again. Tears had sprung in his eyes at the stranger's words._

_/ I don't want mommy to be sad/_

_The man took a few steps toward the whimpering boy and dug his toe into his ribcage with a hard kick. Gojyo's body rolled over as he sputtered saliva and blood onto the pavement. _

"_Suzy may have had a chance to recover from that bastard who left her if you hadn't popped into existence." The stranger's voice was bitter and sad at the same time, spitting out his frustrations as viciously as he continued to kick Gojyo._

"_She wouldn't have gone crazy, you are the WORST thing that could have ever happened to her! SHE COULD HAVE LOVED ME INSTEAD OF LIVING THE WAY SHE DOES NOW!"_

v v v v v v v v v v v v v v

Hakkai couldn't tear his sight away from the red haired boy sitting in a chair at his bedside. Gojyo was shivering, his fingers flexing and twitching, eyes tightly shut. Sweat was dripping from his temples, gently snaking their way down his jaw.

He had woken up a minute earlier to see this when an anguish filled moan had escaped his companion's down turned lips. The bedridden figure continued to stare dumbly for a few seconds, mind still hazy from sleep.

Then as if an electric jolt had made it's way down his body, he flew the bed sheets to the side, swung his pale legs off the mattress and jumped up, hurrying over to Gojyo.

Hakkai lightly took hold of one of the tormented mans shoulders and gave him a firm shake, "Please wake up…Gojyo?"

The vibrant red hair swished back and forth as the kappa's head started jerking from side to side, the nightmare having become apparently more intense.

Hakkai desperately latched onto his other shoulder and shook his whole torso, his voice having risen considerably as he cried, "Gojyo! Wake up!"

Startled eyes of the now previously sleeping man had snapped open, he jumped up and pushed the nearest object away from him with all of his might, screaming with the utmost distress, " I KNOW IT'S MY FAULT!!"

Precipitation clung to his upper lip, a tongue darted out to catch the salty moisture as the man's body remained tense and upright.

Hakkai held his ground on the floor, staring up wearily at his frightened friend. He has never seen Gojyo's so angry and yet scared at the same time, like he knew something but didn't like it at all. His eyes were glinting like a pair of rare rubies with something akin to madness.

Then the kappa's mouth went slack, his vision came more into focus and his brow creased as he realized he was staring down none other than Hakkai.

He found himself at lost for words, but the one sprawled on the floor found himself finally able to whisper, "Gojyo…are you okay now?"

That had done it. His eyes filled with tears threatening to fall, but of course he'd never show this in front of Hakkai. He dropped to his knees with his head lowered. "I am so sorry."

The green-eyed boy was shaken at the amount of shame that seemed to just seep out of the others words.

"So…so sorry, Hakkai. I didn't mean to hurt you again."

At hearing that, he immediately pushed himself off the ground so that he was kneeling along with Gojyo, "No, it's not your fault," he could see the kappa's face scrunch up under the damp strands of hair, "It's not Gojyo, you were having a terrible nightmare, and I just had to wake you. I should have predicted you would react in such away."

Awkwardly, and hoping he wasn't over stepping his boundaries, Hakkai, gently placed his hands on the others shoulders. He hadn't realized Gojyo had been shaking until just then, "Come on, let's get back to bed. Your cold, and rather mentally struck it seems."

A meek chuckle escape the kappa's lips, "Sure thing mom."

Hakkai managed a small smile, as he gripped one of Gojyo's upper arms and helped him back on his feet and led him to the edge of the mattress. He let the red head climb in first and then followed after.

Hakkai reached down and pulled the sheets up and over the two of them. He looked at Gojyo, who lay rigid next to him, staring at the ceiling. "Goodnight, Gojyo…" no response, he sat up a little, "Gojyo?"

As if snapping out of another dream, he looked back at the concerned green eyes hovering above him and gave a goofy grin of assurance, "Yeah, yeah, quit worrying, you'll get wrinkles. Night Hakkai."

Satisfied, Hakkai returned the grin with one of his own, and returned his head to the pillow for a night of more comfortable slumber, knowing that Gojyo was safe beside him.

v v v v v v v v v v v v v v

Waking up…is always the bitch of this. The red head thought so as he took in his current position. Over the night, his sleeping partner had his leg slung over his thigh, and his arm tightly wound across his chest.

Hm…not that this is necessarily a bad thing, but if this little bastard with his whole 'proper and innocent' persona woke up now, he'd probably say, "Now Gojyo, why on earth would _you_ place my leg there?"

Tearing away from those thoughts, Gojyo carefully began to slip out of Hakkai's grip on him.

He was free from his tangle with his companion's limbs and kneeling on the bed over the other, as his right foot carefully attempted to make a descent to the safety that was the floor.

Hakkai suddenly bucked forward with such a force that it threw Gojyooff balance and had him landing flat on his stomach, his face now pressed against the sleeping green-eyed boys chest. He was then flipped over and he cringed as fingernails dug fiercely into his shoulders.

He looked up to Hakkai about to say something but paused, seeing that Hakkai's eyes were still tightly shut and he was breathing heavily. He then bent down and continued that god awful panting in Gojyo's ear.

A stir of arousal threatened to stir and make it's presence known in the kappa when he forcefully pushed it away from his mind. Unfortunately it was just then that Gojyo felt the tell tale throb of an erection pressed against his thigh, belonging to none other than the one currently on top of him.

I'm never on the bottom… he thought a little amusedly, trying to make some light of the new predicament he was in. Turning a situation into something humorous usually helped him to decide on a rational course of action. Hakkai, unaware of the others inner turmoil, started to kiss Gojyo's slender neck with hot, moist lips.

The red head grit his teeth, biting back a groan only to have it turn into a growl. He unconsciously tilted his head back to give Hakkai better access and shut his eyes tightly, only to have them snap open when he heard the other say in a quiet, wanton whisper, "Kannan…"

He needed to get up, and he needed to do so now. This very second, he told himself, get the fuck up now!

But the moment his torso jerked forward, Hakkai shifted and ground his pelvis into the others now slowly but surely hardening length.

With a grunt of frustration Gojyo fell in a heap back on the mattress as Hakkai kissed back up his neck, and then dragged his tongue along the shell of his ear.

"F..f-fuck," was all he could say in comment to Hakkai's administrations. He was so frustrated mentally and physically that he would definately scream right now if not for the fear of confronting anyone who happened to barge in here thinking something is wrong.

Well, there _is_ something wrong….so wrong. It's not even me he's doing this to. Are you listening ego? The poor guy doesn't even know it's a filthy half-breed he's treating so…_affectionately_ right now.

He completely lost his train of thought when Hakkai pressed his damp swollen lips to his own parted ones.

Gojyo knew what he _should_ do, and he knew what he _wanted _to do, but the question is, which one will out weigh the other?

TBC…

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

A/N: Wow, this chapter to my surprise was pretty…uh…drama and smut filled? Not necessarily smut, but it's certaintly leading to that. Sorry guys, but I CAN tell you that it is definitely not time for them to realize their feelings for each other. Any way, this chapter has been edited as of March 25, 2009 at 12:47 PM. Which is awesome because the last chapter, if you read the author note of the last one, was edited the same day but about two hours earlier. Damn, I'm on a role here!


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